


Belief

by Filliam



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-10 21:51:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18416558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Filliam/pseuds/Filliam
Summary: Ronye proposes to Tiese a way for the both of them to grow stronger.





	Belief

**Author's Note:**

> Made for SAO Pride Week 2019 - Day 4: Strength. I feel that Ronye and Tiese didn't get to talk enough about swordsmanship during Alicization, considering they're students at the Swordscraft Academy. Thanks to thegayfromrulid@tumblr for beta reading.

“Hey, Tiese?”

“Yes, Ronye?”

“We’ve grown quite stronger, haven’t we?”

Ronye’s question comes amidst a break from their training, Ronye slouching lazily under the shade as Tiese leans daintily against the great oak tree. They’d generally stick to training indoors, but Ronye insisted it was “too beautiful a day to stay cooped up inside.” Her mentor Eugeo once mentioned that his roommate and partner, Kirito, would say similar things during their journey to the capital.

 _This question, too, must be Kirito-senpai’s influence_ , Tiese thought.

“Where is that coming from, now?”

“Hmm. Well.” Ronye sets a hand to her chin, a sage expression gracing her face. Another mannerism she picked up from that ink-haired mentor, Tiese believes. Ronye lifts a single finger, as if she found the proper words to express herself. “We’ve been training a lot, and from watching you, I can’t help but think you’re grown more graceful.”

Tiese coughs.

“E-excuse me?”

Ronye continues, unabashed.

“I mean, yeah, haven’t you noticed? You’ve always had pragmatic moves, but they used to be stiffer. Senpai always told me to pay attention to your opponent’s hands, and we spar a lot. You seem way more relaxed now.”

Tiese doesn’t know how to feel upon learning that Ronye has been paying that much attention to her form. Ronye lifts her back from the grass, and stares at Tiese with more intent.

“I can’t help but think you seem more confident now,” she says, “maybe because you’ve been practicing with swords more since admission day, and you got in due to your Sacred Arts. I think I’ve grown, too. So, hm.”

She sets a finger to her face again.

“Kirito-senpai is always telling me about how strength comes from confidence, or believing, and that got me thinking. What if we agreed on believing in each other?”

Tiese doesn’t understand how Ronye can remain so composed upon saying such bold words. _What if we believe in one another so much that we grow stronger? What if we could be each other’s strength?_

Tiese’s cheeks come closer to matching her auburn hair.

“Geez, Ronye. Have you always been so idealistic?”

That said, she chews on Ronye’s words. Her mentor Eugeo had said something similar in passing – “image power.” Tiese wonders if he, too, was influenced by the words of Kirito. She feels a bit odd whenever she is reminded that Ronye’s mentor is her _mentor’s mentor_. She decides to weigh in the words.

_Was it really possible… that someone else’s belief in me could help me grow stronger?_

The concept of imagination as power, so ethereal, is already hard enough to believe. To think that another person could somehow transfer that and make it into your strength, however, sounds even more akin to a story from a fairytale. After all, why does she train day in and day out, hands growing calloused and muscles going stiff, if all it takes is someone else's belief?

She stares back at Ronye, however. Her roommate looks at her starry-eyed, and Tiese’s skepticism begins to melt away. Staring at Ronye at times felt like gazing at the sun, exhausting, in a way, and yet…

She felt that she could stare at the stars in Ronye’s eyes forever.

Perhaps, this refreshing feeling was evidence of Ronye’s words. Thinking of the other girl by her side in every swing of the sword did, in fact, make her feel strong.

Tiese harrumphs.

“Very well, then,” she declares. “I suppose that if we’ll be together for the next couple of years, we should do all in our power to grow side-by-side.”

Ronye beams. Clumsily scooting closer to the oak tree, she holds onto Tiese’s hands. Tiese can feel how excited the other girl is through the tightness in her grip.

“Ah, I’m so glad! Tiese, we’ll be the best of partners!”

 _Partners_. Tiese’s chest tightens at the word. She’s sure of it now, staring in the blue of Ronye’s eyes, her blush mirroring Ronye’s, that these swirling emotions could be converted into power.

She decides that she should put the theory to the test.

“Well, it’ll be hard to believe in each other if we’re not training,” she declares, tone imperial. She gets on her feet, and feels guilty at the face Ronye makes when she lets go of her hands. “This rest is officially over, Valet Arabel. On your guard.”

As she and Ronye interlock blades, she too decides to pay attention to her opponent’s form. Ronye’s rapid footwork, she notices, seems to have a skip in her step that wasn’t there before.

She wonders why her sword feels lighter in her hands. Perhaps that is the strength Ronye mentioned.

Tiese hopes that, one day, she can use this strength to tell Ronye about these burning emotions.


End file.
